Transposer for pianos.



E. COOPER.

TRANSPOSBB FOR PIANOS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 3, 1910.

1,007,067. Patented 001.31, 1911.

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Ernest 6210,1161? I Gum,

B. COOPER.

TRANSPOSER FOR PIANOS.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 3, 1910.

1,007,067. Patented 0011.31, 1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

COLUMBIA PLANOIJR AFH co.. WASHINGTON, D. c

E. COOPER.

TBANSPOSBB FOR PIANOS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 3, 1910.

Patented 0011311911.

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ERNEST COOPER, OF RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA.

'IRANSPOSER. FOR PIANOS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 31, 1911.

Application filed May 3, 1910. Serial No. 558,053.

To (ZZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST Coornn, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing at Riverside, in the county of Riverside and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Transposers for Pianos, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to an improvement in piano actions and more particularly to a transposing mechanism whereby the pitch of the piano may be conveniently adjusted above or below the normal.

The main object of the present invention is the provision of a transposing mechanism including an extension carried by each key lever and adapted to normally underlie a particular abstract of the hammer action, the construction including means whereby all of the said extensions may be simultaneously shifted to cause the cooperation of the particular extensions with abstracts other than the one which they engage in the nor mal pitch of the piano, whereby by such adjustment a particular key lever can be made to operate any one of a plurality of abstracts, thereby adjusting the pitch of the piano.

The invention in its preferred details of construction will be described in the following specification, reference being had particularly to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a view showing a portion of the piano action with the improved transposing mechanism applied. Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan of a portion of the key levers and transposing mechanism, illustrating particularly the means for bridging the space between the bass and treble sections of the key-board. Fig. 3 is a plan illustrating the normal position of the transposing mechanism. Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the transposing mechanism adjusted to lower the pitch by a semitone. Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the transposing mechanism adjusted to raise the pitch by a semitone. Fig. 6 is an enlarged elevation, partly in section, illustrating one of the transposing extensions and cooperating parts. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the transposing extensions. Fig. 8 is a section on line 88 of Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a view in elevation, partly in section, illustrating the manner of supporting the attachment bracket to permit the necessary movement of the transposing extensions.

Referring particularly to the accompanying drawings, wherein is illustrated the preferred form of construction, the improved transposing mechanism comprises what I term a transposing extension 1 in the form of an elongated bar having a centrally depending oifset 2 through which is disposed a pin 3 for pivotally mounting said extension upon the key lever 4. The forward ends of the extensions are formed with openings 5 designed to slidably engage the pins 6 depending from an adjusting bar 7, by which construction it will be noted that movement of the member 7 will similarly and simultaneously adjust all of the trans posing extensions on their pivot pins 3.

In adapting the usual piano action for use with the improved transposing mechanism, the capstan screws are taken out of the key levers thereby providing such space that the ends of the transposing extensions can operate beneath the abstracts 8 of the hammer action. The terminal 10 of the transposing extension is convex transversely in order to provide for the convenient riding of said end beneath the abstract in adjusting the extensions without liability to displace the cushion carried by said bar. The extension bar is pivotally connected to the forward end of the arm 13, the rear end of which is pivotally connected to the flange 13 secured to the usual cross bar 12 of the action bracket. The uprights 11 of the action bracket must be cut off at the bottom to permit movement of the transposing extensions therebeneath, and in order to support said uprights I secure thereto curved bars 11, connected at one end to the lower end of the upright and at the opposite end to the frame 12, all as clearly shown in Fig. 9. The bars 11 curve rearwardly to provide the necessary space for the movement of the transposing extensions beneath the uprights.

From particular reference to Fig. 1 it will be noted that the key levers 14 and 15 which are the adjacent levers between the bass and treble sect-ions of the key-boards are each provided with a lateral projection 16, which projections extend toward and beyond each other, so that the rear end of the projection of the lever 15 rests between the lever 14 and the free end of the projection from said latter lever. The free end of each projection carries a transposing extension 1.

In the normal position of the action the transposing extension of each key lever rests directly beneath the abstract in rear of such lever, so that in the action of said key a particular abstract is operated. If transposition is desired the bar 7 is shifted in any desired manner whereby all of the transposing extensions have their rear ends shifted beneath the adjacent abstracts on the opposite sides of the abstract engaged in the normal position of such extension. Therefore the pitch of the piano can be raised or lowered by a. single movement of the bar 7.

In connection with the keys 14 and 15 it will be noted that in the normal position of the transposing bar 7 the transposing extensions carried by said levers 14c and 15 engage the abstracts directly in'rear of said levers. In the movement of the transposing bar in one direction, as to raise the pitch, the extension carried on the projection 16 of the bar 14:, for example, will be moved beneath the abstract directly in rear of the key 15, while the transposing extension carried directly by the lever 1.5 will be moved beneath the abstract of the next. higher string. In this position the transposing extension carried. by the lever 14 and by the projection 16 of th lever 15 will be idle. In lowering the pitch the reverse operation occurs and the extension carried by the projection 16 of the lever 15 will be moved beneath the abstract directly in rear of the lever l-ft, while the extension carried by the lever 14 will be moved beneath the next lower abstract, the extensions carried by the bar 15 and by the projection of the bar 16 being idle.

From the above construction it will be noted that the improved transposing means provides a simple means whereby the particular key lever may be operatively connected with any one of a series of abstracts, thereby varying the pitch of the piano above or below the normal.

The construction is simple and may be readily applied to any of the usual upright actions, requiring a change therein only sufficient to permit the transposing extension to engage "beneath the abstract and operate the same in conjunction with the key lever.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, is

l. A transposingkeyboard for pianos comprising a series of key-levers, an extension pivotally mounted on each of said key levers, the rear end of said extension engaging beneath its respective abstract, a trans posing bar extending the entire length of the key-board, the forward end of said ex tensions pivotally connected to said transposing bar, and means for simultaneously shifting the rear ends of the several extensions to one side or the other of a normal position.

2. A transposing key-board for pianos comprising a series of key-levers, an extension pivotally mounted on each of said keylevers, a transposing bar extending the en tire length of the key-board, the forward ends of said extensions pivotally engaging said transposing bar, a projection carried by each of the adjacent key-levers of the bass and treble sections of the key-board, and an interposed extension pivotally mounted on each of said projections and to the transposing bar.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ERNEST COOPER.

Vitnesses:

F. W. PFAFF, C. H. VVATSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. G. 

